Hiking with my daughter has become one of my most prized ways to spend time together. My hiking toddler is now 2 1/2 yrs old. Although she has been hiking and exploring the forest all of her life, toddlers need incentives to "hike". For us, a nice incentive of chocolate milk gets her hike on! For our first #ReachYourPeak Fall Challenge Hike we headed about an hour north of NYC to Hook Mountain. We have hiked this trail before but at a time when I was predominantly babywearing. I used to carry her in a Kelty Backpack which wasn't terrible to take up and down once you got the hang of it. It was convenient enough to store necessary items such as first aid, water, snacks, and extra clothes, but as my tot's weight has increased I have returned to my beloved Ergo.

The hike begins with a steep ascent. Perfect for grabbing roots, climbing rocks, and spotting the next blaze...perfect for engaging my 2 1/2 year old! She led the way (with me closely behind!) cheering herself on at the tough times "I can do it!" With plenty of songs, including "Let It Go", and a few stops to look at leaves, fungus, and deer, she lasted nearly 2 miles! After that she was out. She slept all through lunch at the peak of Hook Mountain and woke up just as we were leaving the trail. We covered nearly 5 miles in just under 3.5 hours including lunch. ​Tips:

Don't hike alone, especially with infants & toddlers.

Apps make tracking your progress fun, but don't use as a replacement for a map.

Hiking with my husband not only made for an awesome family hike day, but really helped when I needed to take a break carrying our daughter!

If you have bony hips like me, use socks or some sort of padding to prevent sore hipbones the following day. A drawback from switching from the Kelty to the Ergo.